A NORDIC skier from Tidworth has been named among the 25 athletes Great Britain will send to the Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing.

ParalympicsGB has confirmed its biggest team since Lillehammer in 1994 after announcing 20 skiing and snowboard competitors alongside the five wheelchair curlers confirmed last month.

Among them is Nordic Skier Steve Arnold, a veteran from Tidworth.

Arnold served in the Royal Engineers and was in the army for 16 years, serving in Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan, but his life turned upside down in April 2011 when he stood on an improvised explosive device and lost both of his legs above the knee.

Following this he took up hand cycling through the Help For Heroes Sports Recovery Programme. He was selected for the British Cycling development team and competed in the Paralympic Games in Rio in 2016, as well as participating in the 2014 Invictus Games in London. He was then selected for the Help for Heroes funded Armed Forces Para Snow sport team, set up to support the Para Nordic Programme.

READ MORE: Veteran skier to compete for place at Winter Paralympic Games

In this year's Winter Games line-up, there are five Nordic skiers with Arnold joined by  fellow veteran Scott Meenagh, who became the first British athlete to compete for 20 years at Pyeongchang, Callum Deboys, Steve Thomas and ParalympicsGB’s first female Nordic athlete, Hope Gordon.

Alpine skiing features defending Paralympic Slalom champion Menna Fitzpatrick, who will be competing with new guides Katie Guest and Gary Smith.

Fitzpatrick, 23, said: “It’s a huge honour to be selected to represent ParalympicsGB again, and I can’t wait to get out there and get started.

“The last two years have been disrupted due to injury and the pandemic and, with uncertainty about whether the Games would go ahead, let alone the qualification process, to have a seat on that plane is amazing.

“I’m super excited to travel to China as part of such an incredible team of athletes representing Great Britain.”

SEE ALSO: Tidworth veteran, Steve Arnold, named Invictus Games vice-captain

Fitzpatrick will be joined at the Games, which begin on March 4, by Pyeongchang 2018 triple-medallist Millie Knight, who will be partnered again by Brett Wild.

Also named in the Visually Impaired class is Games debutant Neil Simpson, who is guided by his brother Andrew.

All three athletes enjoyed recent medal success at the 2021 World Championships in Lillehammer.

Shona Brownlee will also be making her Games debut in the Sitting Class after taking up the sport just four years ago, along with Alex Slegg and Dan Sheen, while James Whitley will compete in the Standing Class.

James Barnes-Miller and Owen Pick lead the snowboard challenge along with debutants Ollie Hill and Andy MacLeod.

ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission Phil Smith said: “I am absolutely delighted to be able to confirm ParalympicsGB will be taking one of our biggest ever Winter teams and one that promises to be our most competitive across a wider range of sports and events than ever before.

“The determination, strength and resilience each of these talented athletes has shown as they have continued to train and compete during these most challenging times has been incredible and I have no doubt that they will once again unite and inspire the nation with their performances at Beijing 2022.

“We are looking forward to using Beijing to build on the success of the past two Paralympic Winter Games and further enhance our reputation as an emerging winter sport nation.”

Britain’s Beijing 2022 snowsport athletes:

Alpine Skiing: Shona Brownlee (Livingston), Menna Fitzpatrick (Macclesfield), Millie Knight (Canterbury), Dan Sheen (Ellesmere Port), Neil Simpson (Banchory), Alex Slegg (Amesbury), James Whitley (Wilmington).

Nordic Skiing: Steve Arnold (Hampshire), Callum Deboys (Kirkmichael), Hope Gordon (Golspie), Scott Meenagh (Cumbernauld), Steve Thomas (Ogmore Valley).

Snowboard: James Barnes-Miller (Broadstairs), Ollie Hill (Reading), Andy Macleod (Stirling), Owen Pick (Bury St Edmunds).